Analysis Walkthrough
About the Data
This dataset includes 289 deaths in West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) custody from January 2020 through March 2025. It was obtained by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy through a FOIA request filed by senior policy analyst Sara Whitaker.
Each row represents a death, with key fields including:
date_of_deathandbooking_dateage,race,genderfacilityandoffender_status(e.g., pretrial vs. sentenced)manner_of_deathandcause_of_death
DCR’s annual reports do not publish this level of detail. Jail deaths are excluded, and no information is provided by facility, demographics, or cause. This dataset allows for deeper analysis of where, when, and how people are dying in custody.
Exploratory Data Analysis
In this section, we’ll begin exploring:
- How many deaths occurred each year?
- Which facilities have the highest number of deaths?
- How do deaths vary by custody status (pretrial vs. sentenced)?
- Are certain groups disproportionately affected?
- Are facilities with high mortality rates experiencing overcrowding?
We’ll also examine patterns in cause of death and compare counts to what DCR reports in its official publications.
Annual Trends
Demographics
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were White.
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were male.
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were 60-69 years old.
Offender Status (Jail)
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were classified as "Convicted".Offender Status (Prison)
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were classified as "Convicted".Cause and Manner of Death
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were heart disease.
From 2020 to 2024, most people who died in custody were natural.